Yes, put a nut on if there isn't one already.  Everything that is part of 
your ground system, radial wires, ground rod, or whatever, all need to be 
connected to this screw, as well as the braid of the coax.  It needs to be 
very tight.  From the base of the antenna, along the screw, there should be: 
braid from coax (or connection to that braid), your radial wires, connection 
to ground rod (if any),  then also put a washer, then a lockwasher, then the 
nut.   The washer will give more  surface for the nut to push  against the 
wires and the lock washer will  help keep things tight.

While everything is still loose on the screw, before you tighten it all up, 
apply   something like Penatrox or NO-alox which can be bought at Home Depot 
in the electrical department.   This stuff prevents  corrosion between the 
dissimilar metals involved here:  Aluminum antenna base, copper wires, and 
whatever  the screw, nut and washer are made of.   The original hardware 
from Butternut is stainless, but these things have a way of getting lost 
over the years

I think if you get this thing playing the way God and Butternut  planned, 
you will find that the bands aren't really dead.

73, Steve KW3A



.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gery Gaubert" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 1:34 PM
Subject: radials


> Steve, or anyone else for that matter, when I put the radials on the 
> screw,=
> do I have to sepaate them where they go on the screw or can they touch? 
> A=
> lso Can I put a nut on the end of the screw so the radials don't come off?
>
>
>